Stacey

I'm walking 31 Miles in May for Dementia UK

This May, I'm walking 31 Miles and raising funds to help ensure no family faces dementia alone. I'm taking on the challenge for Dementia UK, the specialist dementia nursing charity, and would be grateful for your support.

My father & I cared for my mum who had dementia for over 6 years and we had wonderful support from Lewisham Dementia Hub, they were wonderful and very supportive and Dementia UK were incredibly wonderful, so my mum and this wonderful charity are just 1 of many reasons why I am doing this 31 mile walk in May.

I have a group of close friends who are past and current carers of loved ones with Dementia, who I met from joining the local Lewisham Carers Hub Friday dementia zoom group during lockdown, of which of my own accord I then set up a Whatsapp group, called "Carers Lewisham"  to provide people with another means of support during the week  when not attending the zoom group so carers had other people to talk to for advice and just to generally say how they are feeling  and generally to say if they were struggling, of which every became a member - and are still to this day, I now  co-run  this group with my friend Francis. who has been a wonderful support. We have all become very close friends, who meet regularly for a nice walk and coffee with lots of hugs for emotional support every Saturday,  these amazing people are who I now consider as being friends for life. 

A close friend called David recently lost his lovely wife Judi, who he was devoted to and cared for with love and dedication for over 8 years, who suffered with dementia! 

I would like to take a moment to thank my partner Lucas for providing me with incredible support to carry on and do this 31 mile walk in May to raise money for Dementia UK. You encourage me daily to keep going and to do this walk for all of the above mentioned reasons. You are an incredible person, I love you and you mean the world to me . You were also there to support me during the final stages of  my mother's death and saw me caring for my mum despite her being in a care home and provided lots of emotional support of love. You are also another reason why I am doing the 31 mile walk in May to raise money for this wonderful charity. 

I am doing this walk for all of the past and current carers in my Carers Lewisham Whatsapp Group, for David and Judi who have inspired me to do this 31 mile walk,  my partner, as well as my own mother. I am doing this 31 mile walk in May to raise money for Dementia UK for all of you!

Your donations, whether big or small, makes a huge difference to Dementia UK. £33 could fund a new dementia specialist Admiral Nurse to spend an hour helping a family in the community, offering practical solutions and emotional support to cope with their loved one’s distressed behaviour. And £5 could help fund a link line to be set up and installed in a loved one's home who suffers from Dementia to support both them and their carer who looks after them with love and dedication!

Thank you!